Township Vs Solo Building: What are the Differentiates?

In a township, there is a wide range of facilities within an enclosed area. All types of amenities such as commercial shops, shopping centres, hospitals, clinics and utilities like salons, banks, ATMs and schools. It can also have office spaces and workshops for small companies where people can provide their services to the residents of the township.

Townships will also have extensive roads, streets and walkways and large parking facilities in basements or at the surface. Many townships also may have farmlands or agricultural lands where food is grown for the entire town.

On the other hand, a solo building does not have facilities within it and mainly depends upon the distance from the building to the facility. For example, a house in a specific neighbourhood can be close to schools, hospitals, shops etc but in this case, these are open to the entire public and not just the residents of that area. Solo buildings will be present on a public road and may not have parking facilities depending upon the area of the site.

Townships have integrated services with the compound. Things like water supply, water treatment, sewage system, electricity, piped gas and HVAC facilities will all be managed on-site and distributed to each of the houses, shops and facilities on a metered basis.

Treatment plants, electrical generators, backup generators, cooling tanks etc. will all be present within the site and managed by the maintenance crew of the township. To each house, shop or space in the township, these services will be provided and a monthly fixed maintenance fee will be charged to all occupants.

A solo building gets its line of water supply, drainage, electricity, gas etc which the occupant will pay for depending upon usage. These services connect to the main municipal line.

Townships will have state-of-the-art security systems like CCTVs, alarms, sprinklers, smoke detectors pre-installed into different areas. Along with these, the townships reside inside a compound wall and will have monitored the entry and exits of all occupants and visitors. Townships also employ security guards for additional safety.

In townships, while residents have full accessibility to the facilities inside, the exclusivity of the precinct makes it unavailable to the general public. Private hospitals and schools enable segregation and withhold facilities to outsiders. However, the townships are extremely convenient for their occupants since they have all the amenities a stone’s throw away.

Solo houses have accessibility to facilities depending upon their location. If located in a neighbourhood close to commercial areas, occupants can easily access them since it is located in a public space. However, if a solo building is located in a rural area, these facilities may not be present to use.

Since townships are entirely made of flats and apartments, complete privacy is not available. There will always be noise disruptions from upper and lower houses, and also from the number of public facilities within the site.

Solo buildings have complete privacy as it is independent of its surroundings.

In townships, since families live nearby, many communities are formed. Communities are formed through clubs and associations within the site and also through physical interaction.

Townships can hold events and gatherings to bring people together and also have the facilities and space to do so. Seeing neighbours and interacting with them so closely forms a close bond that translates throughout all the occupants and relationships are also formed between people working in and around the site.

Solo Buildings do not have community living due to their independence. While there will be interactions between neighbours and people in the area, it is not as much as compared to a townhouse.

Is It Good To Buy Flat In Township? 

Township offers both advantages and disadvantages, which we will discuss later. It would be best if you decided to buy keeping in view your needs.

According to moneycontrol (India’s biggest store of news, analysis, data and tools on investing, personal finance, the business sector and the economy), there is no specific percentage premium that can be concluded with any meaningful authority, but it is fact that the cost to purchase an apartment in a township is more expensive than a solo building in the same vicinity.

However, the cost-benefit analysis of purchasing a solo building shows that it is a good investment.

The debate on these large scale infrastructural development effects on the environment is always raised within the architecture and urban design community. Townships are debated by some to be a sustainable development while some consider them to be a threat to the surrounding natural ecosystems.

Sustainable architecture is that which does not negatively impact the environment through different methods, construction techniques and materials. Township and Solo Building in this sense have some advantages and drawbacks when it comes to sustainability.

• Control of water supply which regulates the amount of water each home gets.
• Water treatment facilities allow for recycling and reuse of water for landscapes and cleaning.
• Mandatory waste segregation rules and also has waste segregation infrastructure.
• Using solar panels and other renewable sources of energy for electricity, however, depends upon the developer.
• Presence of landscaped gardens.
• The growing of food makes the township very self-sustainable.

• Using methods of sustainable architecture like passive heating and cooling, local building methods and materials.
• Using materials that are not imported or transported from extreme distances.
• Carbon emissions of single buildings are low since energy consumption is low.
• Direct control over water and electricity consumption.
• Less excavation and usually no large scale deforestation
• Creating private courtyards and gardens that can improve the micro-climate significantly.

• Development of townships would require large amounts of excavation and possible deforestation.
• Construction requires large quantities of materials, water and electricity.
• Can create urban heat islands and strong wind tunnels
• High energy consumption through electrical and HVAC facilities.

• No provision for renewable sources of energy.
• No water treatment facilities for reusing water.
• Solo Buildings may be in areas where waste segregation may not be carried out and waste products in these buildings directly go to landfills.

Example of Township: Aamby Valley City, Maharashtra

The Aamby Valley City developed by Sahara Pariwar is a Township located in the Pune district of Maharashtra. The township was designed and master-planned by Bobby Mokherni & Associates in the year 2003.

Founded in 2006, the 10,600 acres site was a precinct for the Uber rich, having more than 700 luxury bungalows, shopping centres, airstrips, helipads, golf course, power plant, an international school and a hospital. It also has many recreational facilities like pools, malls, lagoons and luxury restaurants.

The township also features a lake that has its dam to control the flow of water. Since the development is so rich with facilities, it becomes the beacon of sustainability and sustainable architecture.

Example of Solo Building: Residential House, Pune

Built by architects Dhruvang Hingmire and Priyanka Gunjikar is a residential home in Pune that encompasses the true meaning of sustainable architecture.

The entire home is built keeping sustainability in mind, where energy consumption is extremely low and also produces low amounts of CO₂. The house does not use fans or A/Cs for ventilation. The architects used traditional and innovative methods to make a sustainable home that is extremely eco friendly.

Use of local materials and local labour, the house is built with mud bricks and mud mortar and locally sourced wood for doors, window frames and more. Carefully sourced and efficiently planned, this house is the epitome of the green architecture and the vernacular architecture of Pune.